The Energon Stream
Log Title: The Energon Stream Characters: *Imager *Scales *Typhoon *Imager *Backblast Location: Cybertron Underworld Date: 30 June 2018 TP: Dungeon Crawl TP Summary: The Autobots below Valvolux investigate a chamber giving off a strange glow. Category:2018 Category: Dungeon Crawl TP Category:Logs As logged by AlphaRaposa Egg Chamber -Level 3 – Valvolux This dark, dark lair is full of large, foul-smelling pods. Several of them have burst open, revealing empty shells half-filled with sticky yellow goo. An undercurrent of static interferes with radio signals down here, and shadows seem to move just out of sight. The floor is sticky, with a mildly adhesive coating that makes it hard to walk quickly, let alone drive or run. Even the least paranoid Cybertronians may feel like they’re being watched. The Autobots have some breathing room after driving off an incursion of Transorganics to patch up their wounded amidst the strange, glowing pods. Scales gets the slightly less dented armor plate fastened back on Typhoon. "Not the best job, but you won't cripple yourself tryin' ta fight." Typhoon nods, and offers Scales a word of thanks. She then tiredly climbs to her feet. "OK, guys. I guess we should get goan, before them things come back. Like I said before we was attacked, I'm pickin' up some strong energy readin's to th' east." She points in the direction in which she speaks, for those around her who aren't walking compasses. "Think we should check it out?" Scales nods. "I'd like to see some life that isn't tryin' ta kill us!" Typhoon chuckles at Scales' preference. "Well, I cain't promise that - could be a massive energon monster or somethin' at this point. I wouldn't be at all surprised." Typhoon rotates her shoulder assembly, which got partially damaged when she got crushed - nothing major, but aches and pains she'll have 'til she gets back to the surface and Scales can work in a proper repair shop. Imager snorts, "We should be so lucky, a big ole baddie that we could eat?" She too is a bit injured, but of course, the infatiguable Imager does not need repairs so easily...or so she says. "Okay, so we didn't really get much chance to explore the area, but do note that these critters were about as big as I am, which means the bigger routes are going to be more dangerous." Typhoon makes a face at Imager's rosy outlook. "Well, I sure as hell ain't climbin' inta anything small that'll keep me from runnin' or fightin' while I'm down here. I don't even like bein' underground - I sure as hell ain't goan in any small tunnels. No offense, but that's what Scales'n Spike're for." She gives the smaller Autobots a nervous, apologetic smile. Scales beams at Typhoon. "Yup! You guys can stay out an' be the big targets!" Typhoon grins and nods at Scales' offer that the large Autobots like her be the big targets. "That's righ-hey!" She belatedly scowls, but there is humor behind her frown. Ty has been (mostly) repaired from being jumped on by trans-organics, and seems ready to lead the Autobots into the slightly-glowing room to the east. Imager shrugs, "Yeah, but thats the option we got iffin we're staying together. But these guys prolly tried to adjust the area to be more 'homey' for them, as disgusting as that is. So lets just try not to disturb anything they set up," Her optics grow wide as she speaks in a hissed tone to the group, "But we sure as smelt need to kill all these eggs or stuff they got because we do NOT need more of these things." Backblast transforms and transforms back to her usual form. "Could daisy-chain some of my hi-ex rounds together to blow them all to buggery." Scales blinks. "Uh... c'n we be in another room when you do that?" Typhoon looks around in renewed horror at the sticky, egg-filled area. She looks at Backblast. "Won't the noise attract every living thing in this complex?" She frowns. "Not any more than our fightin' prob'ly has already," she continues, answering her own question. She nods at Scales's suggestion, though. "Maybe set some charges an' run?" Backblast nods "I can do that." He says, pulling several of his shells from their magazine. "Anyone got a high-voltage capacitor?" He asks, feeding a pair of wires into the fuse pocket of each shell, then twisting the red wires and black wires to a long reel of communications cable. Then he spreads the shells wide throughout the room, all linked in to the central reel of cable. "Once we're at a safe distance, touch the cap to the two terminals here and it'll all go up at once. Should take out most, if not all, of the gribblies in this room." Imager considers Backblast's demo plan. "Well...I'm guessing it'd draw all their attention here, might be really good to distract em so we can sneak on past elsewhere, but that also means that we might be better finding another way back, and then send the ole Wreckers down here to really take em out." She eyes Backblast, "Can you rig em to detonate via radio remote? I mean, I dunno how possible it is, but seems to me, that might be better than by local detonation." :GENERIC ROLL: Scales's generic roll fails. Scales checks through her (very small) cache of spare parts and sighs. "Fresh out of spare capacitors." Backblast looks thoughtful. "Probably but radios are pretty crappy around here, there's a lotta wide-spectrum interference. I'd rather leave it on a timer." He sniffs. "Otherwise we're running a risk of a stray signal setting it all off before we're ready." He frowns, searching his compartments to see if he has any capacitors. :GAME: Backblast PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of High difficulty. ¬Scales waves her tail. "If all you need is a -shock-, though, I c'n do that." She slaps her tail against the ground and a bit of electricity dances around it for a second. :GAME: Backblast FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty. Backblast nods "If we don't find a timer that'll be great. Uhhh..." He thinks. "If you doan have one, I'm sure I have one to spare. I have a lot of redundant systems... ta be honest, I'm kinda over-engineered," Ty admits. :GAME: Imager FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of Above Average difficulty. :GAME: Scales PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of High difficulty. Scales ooohs. "Prob'ly could get one without causing any other issues, at that." Imager gives a skeptical look to Typhoon from behind her. 'over-engineered'? She shrugs, "Uh, well I mean if its 'gon related, I'm sure I can assist, but it’s not exactly a full-blown capacitor...." She pauses, "Course 'Gon is explosive as we all know, could help use that to ignite things...but honestly that's not my department, I'll leave those calls to Backblast here..." She points to the east, "I'm more interested in us checking out whatever's glowing over hyah...cuz I just started thinkin that mebbe we should see what we got around us before we blow anything up...I mean I guess the shells aren't going to be too big, but I'd hate to damage somethin fragile." Typhoon's optic widen at Imager's words, suddenly imagining what bad things might happen if they set off explosives close to something majorly combustible. She looks from Backblast to Imager, not sure what to do first - decision-making isn't her forte. I mean, she's better at it than Stormwind, but that's a low bar to leap. Backblast listens to Imager, thoughtfully. "Hm. Well that's up to you guys, we could always leave it ready to detonate but not attach anything that can set it off, then do it on the way back." He says. "Spool two trigger wires out, one to this side, one to the other side an' if we're not coming out the other way...." He looks thoughtfully. "Perhaps set it on a 24-hour timer, if we can find something to count down, just to be safe?" He looks to Scales "Can you rig me a countdown timer for that long that'll deliver a six-amp pulse at 440 volts, 50 hertz AC over... maybe six miliseconds?" Backblast adds "The blast -shouldn't- be much bigger than this room, if that's any help." Typhoon whews, and relaxes slightly, peering towards the glowing room while Backblast and Scales discuss timers and triggers. :GAME: Scales PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of High difficulty. Scales hmms. "Yeah, I think I c'n manage that," she says to Backblast, "Though 'm not plannin' to be anywhere near this thing when it blows up, okay?" She looks up at Ty. "Mind if I do some tinkering?" Backblast nods in agreement with Scales "Course not, that's why we're putting it on a 24-hour timer with an optional manual detonation. If we don't come back this way to trigger it or stop it, this time tomorrow this room's not gonna be a good place to be." He chuckles, continuing to wire up the charges Imager nods to Backblast, "Your domain, I think it'll work with that delay as long as we can shoot it if needed to trigger it fast" She jerks her thumb towards the east, "But this glow over hyah could be some power source or something, so as soon as we get this set up, I say that’s the way to go. Course there's a higher chance of things being there, because that’s always how things work. Iffin somethings important, it’s gotta be more of a pain. Right?" She gives a look around for more of those transorganic critters, "I'll keep an optic out while you all are workin" Typhoon says, "Tinker away!" Scales climbs up and doesn't take long to extract a spare capacitor. She hums to herself a bit as she constructs BB's requested timer. You say, "Here ya go!" Typhoon divides her attention between watching Backblast and Scales work, and helping Imager keep guard. <> Imager says, "you know, I feel I should've had capacitors" <> Imager says, "but most everything I brought is meant to help shun deathliquid or is climbing instacable" <> Imager says, "also I got this ten-yalm pole, I'm not certain why I have this" Backblast nods "Agreed." He says, taking the timer and connecting it to the reel. "Can't have it as 'shoot to activate'... will a red button do?" He says to Imager as he rigs everything to the reel of cable. "Okay, ready to go. I'll set the timer once we hit the tunnel." He begins to move that way, trailing the wire behind him. <> Scales says, "That's for poking things! Setting off traps 'n' stuff." <> Imager says, "uh...I don't think it has sensors or anything on it, I think it is literally just a pole that is ten yalms long" Imager nods to Backblast, "Okay yeah, a red button, if that’s what you can offer, we'll make do. I mean, just changes how we approach stuff I guess. Honestly I gotta say I don't think we're doing that bad. I thought everything'd be flooded." <> Scales says, "No, if there's like, a trap that closes around something. You poke it and set it off with the end of the pole, and not yer foot." Typhoon says, "Are we checkin' out th' glowin' thing, then?" Typhoon starts to move east, careful not to step in or on anything, or trip over any important wires. Scales sticks close to Typhoon. The Autobots go to Glowing Chamber - Level 3 - Valvolux. Glowing Chamber - Level 3 – Valvolux This entire natural chamber is infused with a soft, ever-shifting glow. This is perhaps one of the most peaceful places below the city. Although some sort of machinery can be heard above, the sound barely penetrates into this large, pleasant room. A small but beautiful energon stream flows from a crack in one wall of the cavern, across the floor of the room, and down into a crevasse too narrow to be traversed even by the smallest Micro Transformer. <> Imager says, "huh...that part of SARE training, Scales?" <> Imager says, "hey lookit that" <> Scales says, "Naw, the humans have whole guides on their world information network on how to survive dungeons. It's in there." <> Imager says, "huh...didn't really think Urth was a dungeon filled world" A small but beautiful energon stream flows from a crack in one wall of the cavern, across the floor of the room, and down into a crevasse too narrow to be traversed even by the smallest Micro Transformer. The glow of the liquid lights the entire room. The sound of its trickling is relaxing and tranquil. The energon itself is pure and unprocessed, which looks delicious but slightly unpredictable… Scales ooooohs at the energon and bounds ahead to sniff it. Typhoon leads the others into the room carefully, her pistol at the ready. Her optics widen as the tunnel opens up to a large, pleasant cavern. Imager tilts her head as she approaches the stream. "Lookit!" She gives a cursory look around before investigating the stream. She plants her feet at the edge, then kneels down. "Unrefined. We're lookin at pure...but unstable. That's pretty impressive. I mean I think I could refine it if needed, run it through the process in my internals, so we got ourself a spot to check in on...but as we all know, raw 'Gon is explosive, I really don't want that blast to get this far." <> Imager says, "Backblast, we got raw Energon over here" <> Imager says, "worried about the erm....back...blast...of an explosion nearby, whatcha think the odds are that it'll not be touched when the trap goes?" Backblast sets down the timer module and only *then* does he actually connect the wires up to the timer, with the red button on top to set the thing off in emergencies. Then he arms it, grinning. In the barbershop style, he repeats "Fire in the hole, fire in the hole, fire in the hoooo-oooole!" With a chuckle, he sets down a little recording device next to it, so that it broadcasts what he just recorded in the moment before detonation. With the job done, he turns to look upon the cave with the glowing energon, looking around. "...woah." Her concerns register on him and he nods. "We -shouldn't- have the fireball reach this far. I made sure the blast would only just clear the room. Still..." He looks around for rocks. "Can't hurt to build a berm to deflect the flame away from the 'gon..." "It's pretty. Can we just say here 'til the Cons abandoned the city?" Typhoon half-jokes. Scales investigates the stream, beginning at the crack where it comes out and following it all the way across the room. She pauses at a spot where it pools to tap a claw gently in the energon and watch it ripple. Typhoon smiles, watching Scales. Her stress seems to evaporate. Imager nods to Backblast, "Yeah, okay, let’s try to keep this stream out of the crossfire then. Iffin I were a Con, I'd say that we need to destroy it because this here's gotta be the Tee-Ohhs food supply, but we ain't gonna do that." She dips her finger into it, "Imma check it out to see how stable it is, I can process it better'n most. But I don't see any other way round here to go, so we'll head back and try south I guess." Imager drinks from the energon stream... >> Energon stream finishes the repairs on Imager. << Backblast tosses a paper packet over towards Imager. "I got potability testing kits if you got empty cubes..." Scales blinks at Imager. "Oh! Does the raw stuff usually do that?" Imager 's optics flicker, and she pauses for a moment. "Nah I've got me a good processin system onboard as it is, it's unstable, but its got a variance of .633 to 1.2, so its pretty solid. Standard specs, but might cause some optical or auditory issues. Got a small unknown variable in it, might have a bit of trouble for iotos-negative sparks, but I ain't an expert on that itself. Imma store some for analysis later...Encore'd love to have some unrefine for his own work at least, but yeah I think we could fill a cube if you all think that's needed?" Typhoon blinks at all that. "So... it's safe?" she asks to make sue. Backblast listens to Imager "Sounds it. Might actually be an idea to carefully heat it on my tea stove, that tends to stabilize raw 'gon." A long pause. "Or set it off." You say, "Well, if it's not likely to explode while you're carryin' it, it's a good idea to have some extra along." Imager shrugs to Typhoon, "Its unstable, not all fuel pumps are going to respond like mine, might have side effects. I mean, iffin I recall my Weatherbot lore, you all were forged on Earth, so that could be a difference...but that said I still got a full refueling supply in me, you lucky Bots, so we're not running out...that said..." Her Helios Array sparks, then a 3-D hologram of a quarter-cube comes into play, then falls into her awaiting hands, Imager holds it against the stream, filling the partial cube, "We can take a bit more, might be a good bribe too if we gotta." The cube grows multcolored as it’s filled a small bit. "Lessen anyone gets some ideas, I'm ready to move on." Typhoon nods. "OK. I'll not risk it -- I'm actually used to usin' either Earth fuels, or the ol' recharge beds in the Ark -- only time I really drink energon is at Th' Rollout, and then it's usually somethin' fancy Encore made. So I'll stick with refined stuff." She gives the pretty stream one last longing look, and then says. "OK. Back into th' ick, then?" She looks around at the other Autobots. Backblast shrugs a little. "Or... onwards, maybe there's another way outta here?" he suggests. <> Imager says, "lets go check the south way" Imager goes to Southern Chamber - Level 3 - Valvolux. Southern Chamber - Level 3 – Valvolux This room's ceiling is slightly lower than the others. The larger bots have to duck to avoid scraping their heads against the steel above them. The walls are rough hewn and glistening with the ground moisture that has seeped in for centuries leaving the floor slick in spots and the air thick with the stench of mildew. There are empty ener-torch sconces on the wall with soot marks above them showing that, at one time, they were used regularly. If you look closely you might notice small indents or holes spaced intermittently along the wall, bored through the steel and stone and appearing to have been done with specific intent. <> Imager says, "bah! there's not much of a ceiling down here, great..." Scales follows Imager, keeping the larger femme in sight so nobody's running around alone. <> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "Wan' me to make sure there wasn't any other ways outta th' energon room?" <> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Guys, let's really not split up." <> Imager says, "huh? Oh yeah, sorry, was just...I dunno, eager to get moving, I guess" <> Imager says, "one sec" <> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "Wan' me to scan here, or catch up?" <> Imager says, "go ahead we'll be right back" <> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Now, please, Typhoon can scan the way. We can check that way out later." <> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "No 'just a second' while there's things like TransOrganics - or worse- around." <> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "I will come and drag you both back 'ere." Imager hunches down, scowling at the lowering ceiling. She spends more time fussing about that than anything. The torch sconces interest her, but the holes nearby are also of interest. Imager spends several moments studying it, then shakes her head, "Nope." :GAME: Imager PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of Very High difficulty. The room seems unremarkable to the pair. Imager returns to Glowing Chamber - Level 3 - Valvolux. Glowing Chamber - Level 3 – Valvolux This entire natural chamber is infused with a soft, ever-shifting glow. This is perhaps one of the most peaceful places below the city. Although some sort of machinery can be heard above, the sound barely penetrates into this large, pleasant room. A small but beautiful energon stream flows from a crack in one wall of the cavern, across the floor of the room, and down into a crevasse too narrow to be traversed even by the smallest Micro Transformer. Backblast looks annoyed. Typhoon looks nervous. She activates her arm sensors and quickly moves around the perimeter of the room, exploring for weaknesses in the walls and temperature fluctuations. Finally she scans the floor and ceiling of the room, frowning at the results. Scales trots as fast as she can to keep up. Imager has much longer legs. Backblast looks apologetic as Imager and Scales return. "Sorry about being so... insistent, but in a place like this we really need to stay together... splitting up is how we all get killed." A pause. "I know if I was hunting us, my priority would be splitting us up so I can pick us off from range." Imager returns from her jaunt south and shrugs, "The ceiling gets low to the south, but there's these wall sconces over there that had seen some use, but there were also a lot of holes in the wall, enough that I figured not to test that out any further." <> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "OK. Th' walls look pretty solid, aside from where we came in. Same wit' the floor. Even where the energon stream escapes, it's too small a fissure to follow. Above us, though -- I'm pickin' up somethin'. Could be taps from above, into the source of th' stream. If we widened them carefully, we might be able to use these as an escape back to th' surface, if we needed it." Scales sits and leans against the opening to the egg room. "So.. if we're gonna build that little wall, we should do that, right?" Imager raises her hand at Backblast, "Yeah, I wasn't thinkin, I guess. Glad Scales here had my back." She looks up to where Typhoon was talking about, "Well I hear some sort of machine at work...could be one of the Great Pumps at work perhaps?" She looks over the ceiling curiously, "It'd have to be totes widened a lot more for anyone biggern' Scales here." Typhoon stands in the center of the room, looking up at the ceiling. Backblast smiles and then nods to Typhoon. "This the sort of thing we could punch through with solid shot? I wouldn't wanna let off hi-ex around this area." He sniffs, then shrugs. "Either way we can think on that when we need it... any more ideas on that mysterious power drain Ty?" Typhoon frowns. "I ain't sure. I ain't an engineer. There's weaknesses, but they seem filled by somethin' else." She looks at Imager. "Maybe pumps, yeah. That'd make sense, and fit what I'm seein'." She frowns apologetically. "Sorry for the vague reports. Like I said, my sensors ain't really designed for this. We need Beachcomber or somebody." Imager raises her head, "Power drain?" Her hologram-enabling array flickers to life again, laying a grid projection out against the wall and ceiling, she says in explanation "Helps sometimes to help spot inconsistencies if you can see em not line up proper on a grid." She considers it for a few moments, "Hmmmm, lemme think. We could secure another way up possibly, but this does sort of seem desperate, cuz we don't know if its 'gon pumping up there or not. Could be anythin really. I'd not mind sending a beacon down the stream trail or maybe up from where its from, see where it leads...Iffin we got any." Scales goes to sit by the energon stream again. "I could dig if it were loose, but not through all this rock." She stares at the glow. Normally, after this much running around, she'd be cat napping in a sunbeam somewhere, not deep underground. Typhoon says, "Can I see that? I can probably overlay my internal map of the area with what you have." Scales decides that she's just not interested in the mapping discussion at the moment and goes to help Backblast push rocks around. Backblast nods a bit, stacking up a decent firebreak between the tunnel and the blast. Juuust to be safe. He nods his thanks to Scales :GAME: Backblast FAILS a STRENGTH roll of Above Average difficulty. Typhoon walks over and connect herself to Imager's projector, bringing up her maps of Valvolux. "Yep," she says with a satisfied smile. "You're right, Imager. We're right under Valvolux's refinery. This must be from the same energon source. I know where we are now, in relation to th' city." Imager 's optics flicker as she ports over her info to Typhoon, "Yeah, there ya go." She considers the situation, "Assuming we're still under Valvolux, there's a great deal of manufactorums up there, so this makes sense, but this leak 'shouldn't' be the energy readings, because those keep climbing...but we could try to follow the pipes if we can." Imager nods to Typhoon, "Yeah...okay...perfect. Can we get a signal out? Let Grimlock know our sit-rep?" Typhoon drawls, "I... think so? Damn, I hate to say it, but we need Hurricane for this. She could boost a signal, I'm sure. Either way -- if we need an emergency way out of th' tunnels, we could get out from here, I'm sure of it." Backblast listens to the others, thoughtfully. "The only part of radio I'm not kitted out for is long-range broadcast." He chuckles, continuing to stack rocks, even with a minor rockslide. :GAME: Backblast PASSES a STRENGTH roll of Above Average difficulty. Scales shoves bits of rubble into place among the rocks. It's more cosmetic than helpful, but it's something to do. Imager looks back to Backblast, "I'm guessing that that’s not all the explosive shells you're packing? We might need some here too...I'm all fists and plasma myself. Typhoon says, "I'm pretty strong -- I could help!" Typhoon goes to help Backblast, since she's done all the mapping she can. :GAME: Typhoon FAILS a STRENGTH roll of Above Average difficulty. Backblast shakes his head to Imager "Course not, only five of them. I have a load of about thirty, still got plenty left." Typhoon overexerts herself Right Away, not taking into account the fact she's been recently injurd. Scales pauses to look up at Typhoon in concern over the squeak in her joints. There is a creaking of metal before part of one of the welds Scales so carefully put into place on the patch is torqued just a bit too far by the movement and it partially fails; leaving a seam open partway. Typhoon curses quietly and tries to hide the fact she's limping again. She moves some smaller rocks in a not-at-all-helpful way, and then stands up, dusting off her hands as if she's finished. Every part of her body is now covered in dust except her hands. Backblast helps provide that direction "Lovely job, Scales, yeah make that face as smooth as you can... doesn't matter at the back, but at the front make it lovely and smooth, we want to channel the blast straight up into that weak ceiling." Imager nods, "Kay, then try to save a few for the way out here. Iffin your blast wall is done er you need more hands on it, say the word. Me, I'm ready to check out the west side." Scales gives Typhoon a few more glances but does what Backblast tells her, scooping up loose bits with her tail and packing it in place with her paws. :GAME: Backblast PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of Above Average difficulty. Typhoon smiles, watching Scales for a bit, and then studying the energon stream. She may not be helping, but her morale bar is slowly refilling, at least. Backblast finishes pushing the last few rocks into place "We're good to go thank you, Imager." He smiles, resting his 90mm gun up on his shoulder. "Ready to rock." Backblast is still wearing his alloygator. Typhoon is trying to relax, so avoids looking at Backblast and his alloygator cowl. X) Scales gives the energon stream one last look. It's so shiny and so tempting, but... she goes to stand next to Typhoon. The Autobots go to Western Chamber - Level 3 - Valvolux. Western Chamber - Level 3 – Valvolux This large open area has a foreboding presence. It's dark with pockets of flickering light from the random fires left unattended. It's obvious this is a gathering place for someone - or somethings. As you look around you notice unfamiliar markings on the walls. Are they directions? Are they names? Is it graffiti? At the edges of the meager sources of light you occasionally see a dull reflection. One cursory closer look to realize it's the banged up and rusted remains of a bot is all you need to know to move on and move on quickly. Backblast has his rifle held properly now as they enter this foreboding tunnel. He flicks his spotlight to infra-red and then looks at that graffiti Typhoon trails a bit this time, less willing to lead since it means leaving the pretty room and returning to scary pits of fanged death. Scales keeps with Typhoon. She sniffs the air as they see the fires ahead. Is that burning energon? Organic matter? Imager maintains a smallish ball of pink light for some basic visibility for the team. She frowns at the entire area, "Well, this doesn't seem that pleasant. The Tee-Ohhs might live here." She notes the remains and approaches apprehensively. The big Femme squats down to note the dead mech. "One of ours. Or at least was. So yeah...those techno-orgs live here now, we drove em off, but Imma guess that they're watching. Got them predator instincts mebbe." Backblast nods "I've got my IR light active." He says. "Please don't shine any lights right in my face, it's really gonna hurt... much appreciated." The scent of the flames is a bit hard to seperate from the foul odor wafting in from the egg chamber, but it doesn't seem to be organic in nature. Typhoon keeps her forearm lights pointed at the floor or walls, trying to keep them as far away from Backblast as possible to not burn out his night vision. Scales goes to get a closer look at one of the fires, curious. Imager calls out harshly to Scales, "Wait!" Backblast examines the graffiti, to see if it's related to any of the languages or hobo-sign-style symbol systems he knows Scales stops in mid-trot, half her paws off the ground. Imager reaches out in a gesture to Scales, "There were torches to the south, but there were also a ton of holes around it, like you know, flood holes or somethin, I dunno what. If what we can kinda see round here is similar...might have more of those lil holes, and we dunno what they do." :GAME: Backblast FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of Immense difficulty. Scales blinks back at Imager and sits. "Well, if I can't go look at it, c'n we poke it?" Backblast looks thoughtfully at Imager, taking his attention off the graffiti, for now. It's nothing he's super familiar with. "You could use that big stick to poke it." Backblast doesn't look directly /at/ imager, because, most people probably have their lights on. He's using IR. Imager’s optics flicker for a moment, "Oh, the ten-yalm pole." She digs it out of her pack and uncollapses it. "Kay, I'll give it a looksee. Iffin tiny lil Tee-Ohhs show up or somethin, I'd rather have em look at me...but I guess if the floor gives way, that's gonna be bad." She draws her shield and approaches one of the torches, looking for some of those same holes she saw earlier. Her pink light switches off to a single spotlight before her of small area, "Eh, I've had worse." After examining the symbols for a few minutes Backblast feels that he's starting to see a pattern in the symbols on the wall if he could just have some more time to study them he knows he could figure out what they mean.